Celebrating 22 years at The Taj Mahal Palace, Chef Masaharu Morimoto reflects on Wasabi's legacy, blending Japanese omotenashi with Indian culinary preferences. The anniversary introduced a new omakase menu featuring seasonal Japanese ingredients and innovative dishes like Iron Chef's Angry Chicken, showcasing his mastery of merging global flavors.
Wasabi by Morimoto opened at The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai, on September 1, 2004. It marked 22 years on October 30 and 31, 2026, with the return of Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, an anniversary omakase and a new menu led by Executive Chef Rohit Sangwan. The additions include Hokkaido white asparagus, Shiro Ebi from Toyama Bay, slow-braised Pork Kakuni and Iron Chef's Angry Chicken, his Japanese take on tandoori chicken.
Morimoto trained as a sushi chef in Hiroshima after a shoulder injury ended his baseball ambitions. He became executive chef at Nobu in New York in the 1990s and opened Morimoto in Philadelphia on November 13, 2001. Wasabi in Mumbai followed three years later. During an exclusive conversation with Robb Report India, he speaks about omotenashi (traditional Japanese philosophy of wholehearted, selfless hospitality and care), the vegetarian share of the Wasabi menu and what makes the Indian diner different.
Robb Report India (RR): What does a perfect omakase at Wasabi look like to you?
Chef Masaharu Morimoto (MM): The main thing in Japanese food is omotenashi, which is hospitality. Then it is the season and what is good for the guest. This season I am focusing on what is in season in Japan, and I explain what kind of food we serve. Wasabi is the second oldest restaurant I have. My first, in Philadelphia, turns 25 in November. This one is 22 years old.
The vegetarian share here is also higher than at my other restaurants. A guest spends the same amount of money, so you have to keep a balance between vegetarian and non-vegetarian. A new chef does not always know how to do that. Non-vegetarian has toro, caviar and meat. Vegetarian has tofu, milk and pasta. So I help the chef find ideas, and that is why we serve truffle, cheese, parmigiano-reggiano and extra virgin olive oil.
This is one of the best hotels in the world. We have a good relationship with the Taj team of more than 20 years, and they help us a lot, including with hiring a Japanese chef. We ask the hotel's Italian chef for these ingredients, and we collaborate with the entire team from March.
RR: How did your early training in Hiroshima shape the way you cook today?
MM: I learned how to make sushi right after graduating high school. I spent years learning sushi and sashimi in sushi restaurants. When I was 30, I came to the United States, and there I learned how to expand sushi, and my own skill, to fit Western culture and the Western palate.
Timing was good. Everybody was looking for sushi from Japan, and it expanded from New York to Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco. Now sushi is everywhere. When I came here more than 20 years ago, I told them this was my standard of food. One month later the chef came and said we should change the menu. So we collaborated, the chef, the culinary team and I, and the team supports us a lot. That is how sushi became a fit here.
I have restaurants in Europe, France, Morocco, Jakarta, Mexico, Tokyo, the US and Doha. It is not only about me. I try to fit in, respect the local culture, dialect, history and industry, and hire local people. The chef and manager here tell me what they want to do, and I say, let's do it. That is how I do it. So there is sushi for Mumbai, for Jakarta, for Morocco and for Bordeaux in France. All are different from original Japanese food.
RR: Which dish on the new menu would you tell a first-time guest to start with?
MM: The omakase menu.
RR: You have cooked in cities across the world, so what makes the Indian diner different from the rest?
MM: Indian people want to travel, and India, the UK and Europe cross each other. The clientele here travels to Europe, Asia, Japan and the US. So you have to focus more on what is new, and on the best ingredients and the best technique. That is the main focus, and it is not only for India. Indians do not eat only curry or spicy food. They respect all kinds of food, and that helps me expand my food here.
RR: After 22 years at the Taj Mahal Palace, what would you like Wasabi to be known for next?
MM: Make the customer happy, with our entire team of Taj. It should be something they look forward to. I used to have a restaurant with the Taj in New Delhi, and I left. Maybe there will be other locations, here, in New Delhi or Bangalore, if I can. I love Taj. It is one of the top hotels in the world.